Edit-in-Place
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Use when: |
The UI contains text labels that the user may want to change
sometimes -- the names of objects, for instance. They may be in
a graphical editor, or a table, or a tree, or wherever.
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Why: |
If one wants to edit something, it makes sense to try to edit it
where it lives. Making the user go somewhere else -- a place
far away spatially, or disconnected from the original text in another
window -- isn't usually ideal; it can be harder to find (though not
always), and it takes longer than just clicking on the text and
typing in place.
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How: |
When the user clicks or, more typically, double-clicks on
the text to be edited, simply replace it with a text field
containing the string (which should immediately be selected). If
a text-entry cursor appears in the right place, and/or the text
is automatically selected, that may be enough of a cue to the
user to start editing; no border is necessary around the text
field. Keep it in the same physical location, and retain the
display font -- in short, make it as WYSIWYG as possible.
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